Silent War
by tgreene
Summary: A secret group of Spartans who survied the onslaught of planet Reach has been working undercover for the UNSC. Over time they have become legends. Very few UNSC officials know about their existance and whereabouts. This is the story of Delta squad.
1. Prologue

Prologue

The downfall and complete destruction of planet Reach by the mix of alien races known only as the Covenant, was just the beginning. After our first contact with the alien species, the UNSC developed a special class of soldiers known as Spartans. The first Spartans fell in battle against the Covenant forces. Doctor Catherine Halsey lead a group of scientist to create a better, more efficient group of soldiers. This lead to the creation of the Spartan II's. Kidnapped as children, the candidates for the Spartan II program were forced into the military. They were trained by elite military officials and grew into the best soldiers the Earth has ever known. After the destruction of planet Reach, Master Chief John, Spartan 117, was claimed to be the only Spartan left alive. But the Spartans who survived Reach have been working undercover in top secret operations. Over time, the Spartans have achieved great victories. But none of which teams have earned such high standing as the legendary Delta Squad. Delta Squad is a top secret team that only a handful of military officials know about. They take on high risk missions that are too hard for normal marines. To many people, Delta Squad is only a myth. But for the people who know….Delta Squad is a force to be reckoned with, and only whispers in the wind.


	2. Recon Well at Least for Now

Chapter 1

Recon….Well at Least for Now

The night air was cool and brisk. It felt good coming through his helmet. Thomas, the leader of Delta Squad, enjoyed this small pleasure.

"Contact." said Daisy from the COM Link radio. She was the only girl in Delta Squad. An expert marksmen, Daisy was a force to be reckoned with. "We have four, make that five enemy hostiles within range. Permission to engage?"

Thomas' indicator light flashed green in Daisy's helmet and half a second later, five suppressed shots fired through the air towards the guards. Daisy fired as fast as the gun loaded the next bullet into the chamber.

"Tangos down." said Daisy

"Roger; Delta lets move!" barked Thomas.

The Spartans melted from shadow to shadow. They were getting closer to the building. The squad came across the bodies Daisy eliminated; blood flowing across the grass.

"Brutes…" said Thomas

"Sir, don't you think it's odd that there was no Chieftain?" asked another Spartan.

"Yeah, I do Chris." replied Thomas. "Cowboy!"

"Sir!" he replied

"I need you to check the bodies for ammo, get as many grenades as possible."

Cowboy is the youngest of the group. He joined Delta Squad just a few months back. Cowboy is wild and always wants to get the job done in style.

"Chris, set explosives by these two buildings." Thomas was anxious, something didn't set right inside him.

"Thomas," spoke Daisy, "are you okay?"

"Delta, I think this is more than just a storage warehouse. I've been checking my scanner, and take a look. There are pockets of radiation everywhere."

"So what are you getting at?" asked Cowboy

"The Covenant has stockpiled a small cache of nuclear warheads!" exclaimed Daisy

"Exactly, and what they are planning on doing with them, I don't know."

"Got the explosives in place Thomas." said Chris jogging back to the group.

At that moment, a fast violet beam of light passed by Thomas; missing him by inches.

"Sniper!" he yelled through the radio as he and Delta Squad dropped to the ground.

"We've got to find cover." Chris whispered into the COM Link. "It seems to be looking for us."

"Delta, follow me and stay low!" said Thomas

The squad burst forward into the darkness, blending in with the shadows around them. They sprinted gracefully toward an abandoned house in the distance.

"That was close." said Cowboy panting as they walked through the threshold of the house.

"They knew we were coming." said Daisy, "The Jackal was already in pos-"

"Shhh! Quiet!" whispered Thomas sharply with one hand in the air.

"Come on you maggots!" yelled a Brute Chieftain walking out of the warehouse. The Brute kicked the grunts in front of him. There were about a dozen Covenant all together in the warehouse court yard. They consisted of three Jackals, five Grunts, and four Brutes. Each wearing a different colored armor.

"All of you spread out and find the Demons!" barked the Captain, as the Chieftain took off in a Phantom.

"Daisy," whispered Thomas, "Move slow to the back window and eliminate the sniper. Then we must draw them back so Chris can blow the explosives he set up earlier. It should make it easier to kill the rest." Green acknowledgement lights winked across his HUD. "You know our motto Delta!"

"Going in alive! Coming out the same way!" all four chanted quietly.

"Let's smoke'em" said Thomas

Daisy stood up and quickly shot the overhead sniper. Turned to her immediate right and shot. She emptied the magazine and threw the sniper to the side. The three Jackals laid lifeless on the ground.

Delta stormed out of the house and fled behind a broken van. Cowboy quickly shot the five Grunts with short controlled burst from his assault rifle. A blue, round flame landed beside Chris.

"Shit! Plasma grenade, run for the building!" he yelled

They quickly sprinted toward the building where the explosive trap was set. The Covenant were right on their heels as the grenade destroyed a nearby van. Coming out of the cloud of smoke from the van, the aliens began to open fire.

"Blow it now Chris!" yelled Thomas

A second later, the area was engulfed in a cloud of fire and smoke. Covenant bodies fell from the sky. Dark blue blood, sprayed onto the neighboring buildings.

"Take out the stragglers." commanded Thomas

Cowboy rushed forward, guns blazing. One by one, the remaining Covenant troops fell. Finally, after mere minutes of fighting, it was all over.

"Good job Delta." praised Thomas. "Now lets get inside and de-fuse those warheads before more Covenant arrive."

The four Spartans marched inside the warehouse. Inside they found more than just a few warheads.

"Holy shit!" exclaimed Cowboy, looking up at the endless shelves of warheads.

"Damn," cursed Thomas, "there must be at least fifty warheads in here. Why the hell would the Covenant need this much firepower? Chris!"

"Sir?" he replied

"Chris can you defuse every last one of these bombs?"

"Well sure, but it will take about five minutes. And, well um…it will take a large EMP blast to de-fuse something on this large of a scale."

"Do it now." Thomas said impatiently

"Okay, but our shields will be offline for about fifteen minutes once the EMP discharges." Chris warned

"Just do it. By the time more Covenant arrive, we should be long gone. Besides, it looks like we don't have any other choice." replied Thomas

Daisy walked in and out between the isles or warheads, looking up as she went. "It scares the hell out of me that the Covenant has access to this kind of firepower."

"I know." replied Cowboy, "It's like they are trying to wipe out all life in Africa at one time."

"Charging EMP blast!" shouted Chris from across the room

"Whatever they are planning. This is just the beginning." sighed Thomas

"We need to take-" but as Daisy spoke, three Brute soldiers lumbered into the warehouse.

"Huh? Demons!" they shouted in surprise.

"I got this…" said Thomas

Thomas pulled out his razor sharp combat knife and sprinted toward the oncoming threats. The Spartan side stepped the Brute's swipe and rammed the knife through his lower jaw. As it fell to its knees in pain, Thomas put his hands around the Brute's head and broke it's neck. Thomas ran towards the second Brute. The alien threw a spiker grenade, but Thomas was too fast. The spikes grazed his armor which caused a few scratches, but it didn't slow him down. Thomas grabbed the Brute's right arm and pulled it behind him and broke it in two. The Brute screamed in pain and felt for his gun. Thomas, in one quick action, stuck a grenade on its back and as fast as lightening, punched the last Brute in the stomach and slit its throat. The grenade exploded and the room was showered with dark blue blood.

"Damn." whispered Cowboy towards Daisy, "How did he do that, that fast."

"Heh, Thomas has always been extremely well in close combat. He is unstoppable when he has a knife in his hand."

"Still, I've never seen a Spartan move that fast. He killed three Brutes in ten seconds!"

"Um…guys!" shouted Chris, "We need to go now! I set the charge on max so it will disable the warheads for good!"

"You heard the man Delta! Let's move out!" yelled Thomas wiping blood off of his helmet.

The squad sprinted out the door and into the darkness, and stars filled the sky.

"Cowboy, get me General Hollister now!" commanded Thomas.

"Roger sir! Patching you through now." he spoke as they continued running through the jungle.

"Delta! Can you hear me?" asked Hollister through the COM Link

"Yes sir. We found a warehouse full of warheads. Chris set a EMP charge to shut them down for good."

"Warheads?! What the hell would the Covenant need that much firepower?"

"I don't know sir but we need a ship, now." replied Thomas, "The charge will disable our shields so we need a Pelican fast."

"Roger Delta. I am sending a Pelican now. Head for the clearing for extrac-" Hollister's voice was gone and the COM Link crashed. In the distance, the EMP charge exploded. The Spartans were blown off their feet and onto the jungle floor.

"Damn." cursed Thomas as they stood back up.

"Our shields have been shut down and will not be back online for some time" said Chris

"At least he is sending a Pelican." said Daisy

"Yeah, come on Delta, we have to get to the clearing. It's just a little farther." said Thomas

Delta walked about two miles toward the clearing. When they arrived, the Pelican was already waiting for them. The squad climbed on board and strapped themselves in the seats.

"Good to see you alive Delta!" said the pilot

"Glad to be alive!" replied Thomas

As the Pelican ascended into the night sky, Delta relaxed and took off their helmets, looking forward to a goodnight's sleep.


	3. Knock Knock

Chapter 2

Knock Knock

"Welcome home boys and girls!" said the pilot as they descended into the air base.

The team of Spartans grabbed their gear and jumped off the Pelican. They were now at one of Earth's finest, and last, massively secure base. The base was located in Africa, underground the city of Voi. The Citadel, in which it was named, was the only base that could hold up to the Covenant onslaught. If the Citadel fell, Earth and all of her colonies would be lost.

The Spartans marched through the base, helmets clutched to their sides, to General Hollister's office. As they passed, people in the corridors was jump back trying to avoid the walking tanks. The office doors slid open as Thomas approached them.

"Delta! Good to see you're all in one piece!" said Hollister cheerfully as he rose from behind his desk.

Hollister was a middle aged man. In his late forties, nothing slowed Hollister down. His uniform was decorated with ribbons and metals from when he fought on the front lines. Hollister was a brave soldier, and a legend among the UNSC marines. He was tall with broad shoulders and dark wavy brown hair. Along with his hair, Hollister also had a thick brown beard and bright green eyes that looked as if they could see right into your soul.

"General." said Thomas saluting, "Good to see you too."

"Yes, well good work defusing the warheads. You and your squad did an outstanding job." praised Hollister cupping his hands together.

"Sir, permission to speak freely?" asked Thomas.

"Permission granted. What do you have on your mind son?" he replied

"Do you have any idea what the Covenant were planning on doing with those warheads?" inquired Thomas, placing his helmet on Hollister's desk.

"Hmm." Hollister sighed, "Sadly I do not. It is frightening to see that much power in the Covenants hands. But that is where you come in Delta."

"Us, General?" asked Chris

"Yes Delta. You all are going on a confidential mission. You must assassinate an Elite Ship Commander." Hollister turned and brought up a video file of the Elite in question on a large computer screen. "The target goes by the name of Valisco Saygen. This Elite is a ruthless Covenant Commander who played a key role in the destruction of Reach. We believe that Valisco has gained access to a large number of security codes."

"What were the codes used for General?" asked Daisy

"Well from what we can gather, I believe they are security codes to the Citadel." Hollister replied, as his eyes dropped to the ground.

"How the hell did he get the codes?! Let alone hack into the Citadel's system!" exclaimed Cowboy.

"I know Spartans, I know." Hollister said, "We don't know how he did it but one thing is for sure. And that is we want him dead and the codes back in our hands."

"When do we leave?" asked Thomas

"Immediately." replied Hollister, "Do not let anyone know the details of this mission. Only a few officials know about it and besides, your squad officially does not exist."

Thomas nodded and he and his team exited the office. Delta marched into the armory and retrieved their gear from the weapons locker.

"Too bad there will be no need for a sniper." complained Daisy pulling a battle rifle off of one of the shelves.

They loaded up their gear and once again seated themselves into the Pelican.

"Where ya'll going so soon?" asked the Pilot.

"Here." said Thomas roughly as he tossed him coordinate chip.

"Alright then. Well saddle up!"

They slowly exited the loading bay and gracefully lifted into the darkness of the night sky. The Spartans passed the time by cleaning the guns, and checking them for ammo. After about an hour, the Pelican rose about a large mountain, and their destination came into view. The Covenant outpost was clearly crawling with hostile forces. Elites walked back and forth around the small base camp and a few guarded the entrance from unwanted visitors.

"Okay Delta! We're coming in a little hot!" said the pilot, "Touchdown to LZ in five!"

"Let me here it Spartans!" yelled Thomas

"Going in alive! Coming out the same way!" all four chanted as they cocked their guns.

"Lock and load baby!" shouted Cowboy

The Spartans leapt off the Pelican and into the darkness of the jungle.

"Okay Delta, we're going in deep and we're going in hard. Lets do this fast and smoothly. We only have about an hour of night left." preached Thomas walking back and forth in front of the squad. "Move out!"

They quickly jumped from shadow to shadow. With each step bringing them closer to the Elite camp. The fire was now in view. It was strange, the Elites did not seem to be on the alert. Thomas and his squad placed themselves on the back wall of a neighboring building in the camp. Daisy scouted ahead, blending in with the orange glow of jungle leaves from the fire.

"Okay lets see…" she said through her COM Link, "I see about six or seven Elite soldiers outside the main entrance."

"Hmm. Not as many as I expected." replied Thomas. "Chris, place yourself on the north wall behind the Elites, and Cowboy, you cover the west. Daisy stay where you are and wait for my signal."

The team only took about five minutes to get into their flanking positions. Green acknowledgement lights filled Thomas' helmet.

"Alright…smok'em." he commanded calmly.

At that moment, all four Spartan's leapt into action. One by one, the squad came into the Elite's view, but only for a second. The Elites were killed before they could even reach for their guns. Short rifle burst filled the night air and light blue blood flooded the ground.

"Good job Delta. Let's get inside." praised Thomas

"I'm gonna have to blow the door Thomas." said Chris reaching for the explosives out of his bag.

"Set the charges then. This seems all to easy." he replied.

"Prepare to breach!" yelled Chris.

The explosives fired, and the Spartans were covered with dust and showered with rubble from the door. Cowboy threw a flash bang grenade into the adjacent room. Elite screams filled their ears.

"Move up!" barked Thomas.

Cowboy quickly executed two Elites with well placed head shots with a battle rifle. Thomas rushed the remaining two with a fierce blow to the skull with his combat knife.

"Okay, lets go." he said, wiping the pale blue blood off his knife.

They marched down the hall, making sure that they would not get flanked. The base was a lot larger then they expected. The what seemed to be a fairly small base, reached five levels underground.

"Contact!" yelled Daisy.

Three Elite guards rushed the Spartans, firing their plasma rifles.

"Shit, I'm hi!" yelled Cowboy. His armor was smoking as the plasma ate its way through.

Thomas threw a fragmentation grenade and a moment or so later, the hallway was cleared and blood covering the walls.

"Are you alright?" he asked bending over Cowboy.

"Yeah." he replied, "Just got a little nicked….bleeding a little though. Chris, toss me the bio-foam."

Chris rummaged around in his medical bag until he found the foam.

"Here, I'll do it." Chris said.

He moved Cowboy's hand from the wound. The plasma ate through a small layer of armor on Cowboy's left side. Chris inserted the nozzle of the canister into the bleeding wound.

"Aaahhh!" screamed Cowboy in pain. His grip tightened as he held onto his helmet.

The white liquid oozed into the wound. It quickly stretched and expanded to fit the wound. A second later, the bleeding stopped.

"Thanks man. Now help me up." praised Cowboy as he extended his hand.

"Don't worry about it." replied Chris, lifting Cowboy up.

The remainder of the base was relatively empty. Only a few patrol men were wandering around the hallways. The Spartans quickly silenced them.

"Alright Delta." said Thomas as they approached a large metal door. "Valisco is right through this door. Let's get what we need, take him out, and go home."


	4. Read Between the Lines

Chapter 3

Read Between the Lines

"Search the area!" commanded Thomas.

They slowly marched through the dim lit room. The only light was the vague purple light of the computers which flew throughout the room. Delta Squad, with their guns ready, reached a small curve which lead to the main control center of the base. The Elite Commander was in a tall round chair, which over looked a set of security monitors and a holographic map.

"Drop the weapon Valisco!" yelled Thomas

"Ah! Spartans!" the Elite said.

"I said drop it!"

"Why did they send Spartans? And why were did they kill my men?" questioned Valisco, mainly to himself.

"Where are the codes?" asked Chris.

"Right here." Valisco said, holding a chip in his right hand, and a plasma rifle in his left. "Did you really have to kill all my men, just to pick them up?"

"Pick them up? What are you talking about?" said Thomas raising his gun higher. "Cowboy, get the codes!"

"Here, take them." said Valisco, "They were meant for you anyway."

"That's it!" thundered Thomas as he leapt toward the Elite. Thomas grabbed Valisco by the throat and slammed him into the wall. "Tell me what is going on!"

"I don't know what you are talking about!" he begged.

"Why are the codes meant for us?" asked Thomas.

"After our split with the Covenant, we joined with the humans. We made an alliance with Lord Hood."

"Liar! Stop playing games with me!"

"Please, I beg you! Everything you need to know is in the codes! They are the coordinates to our most secure base!"

"Cowboy, check the codes! Daisy, get me General Hollister!" said Thomas still holding onto Valisco.

"Patching you through now Thomas." Daisy replied.

"Delta this is Hollister! What's wrong?"

"General what is going on?" asked Thomas.

"I don't know what you are talking about. Did you retrieve the codes?"

"You know exactly what I'm talking about General! Why is the Elite telling us these lies?"

"Did the Elites actually split from the Covenant?" asked Chris.

"No Delta. We don't have any information on this. It must be a trick. Kill him now!"

"Please humans!" implored Valisco, "Don't do this, I beg you. Please read the codes!"

"Delta, I order you to eliminate the target now!" yelled Hollister.

"Please Spartan!" Valisco yelled.

"NOW!" thundered Hollister.

Thomas raised his assault rifle to the head of the Elite, closed his eyes, and fired. Blue blood splattered, and cascaded the walls. Valisco's eyes became clouded and white. His body limp and lifeless. Thomas laid the body slowly to the ground.

"Good job Delta. I'm sending a Pelican in now. Proceed to the courtyard for extraction." said Hollister.

Thomas shrank back into the shadows of the back wall. Something didn't set right with him. He felt sad inside. Thomas could not shake the feeling that he killed an innocent.

"Oh god! Thomas get over here! You should see these codes!" said Cowboy. "I will put it in the holographic projector." As he did, an image of an Elite appeared in the middle of the room.

"Commander Valisco. Our split from the Covenant is now confirmed. The Arbiter and a group of Elite Zealots have executed Tartarus and prevented him from activating Delta Halo. The Prophet of Truth has made himself clear that the Elites are no longer welcome. The Arbiter, along with the humans, have learned of Truth's plan. Truth wants to activate all of the Halo rings from what is called the Ark. The repercussions of activating the Ark are severe. The Ark would ignite all seven Halos and wipe our all sentient life in the neighboring galaxies. The Great Journey is a lie! The Prophet of Truth has used us! It is time for us to join with the humans and bring this war to an end! Until I see you again brother." The unknown Elite kneeled on one knee and bowed. The image disappeared, and the transmission was over.

"There is more Thomas." said Chris, "Valisco wasn't lying! These codes are very detailed blueprints of a Covenant weapons base. These maps are amazing! This base must house every high powered weapon the Covenant posses."

"I can't believe we killed over two dozen of who are now our allies." grieved Daisy.

"How could Hollister do this? I mean, he is our General! He would have known about the Covenant split if they were already working together before now. That must be why he didn't want us to inform anyone of this mission." complained Thomas.

"We have to relay this transmission to Lord Hood immediately" said Cowboy.

"Come in Delta. This is Glory Dawn." said a pilot through the COM Link. "We're ready for extraction. Please proceed to the courtyard."

"Roger Glory Dawn, we're on our way. We need to see Lord Hood now. We have uncovered new information of the up most urgency." said Thomas.

"Roger that Delta. We will head straight for the Citadel."

"Good, we are on our way. Delta out."

The Spartans ran through the halls of the base and our the door to the courtyard. They quickly pulled themselves into the Pelican. Thomas could not get the image of killing an innocent out of his head. Covenant or not, the Spartans were not bread for that. Thomas closed his eyes, and struggled to get some sleep.


	5. Smoke Out the Rat

Chapter 4

Smoke Out the Rat

The Pelican soared gracefully through the orange glow of the morning sky. The sun was just now ascending into view. The ground was moist with the morning dew, and the air was cool and sweet. Thomas woke up with a jump. They were almost at the Citadel and he knew it. He could not stomach what all that had happened back at the Covenant base. How could someone of their own kind sell them out?

"Here we are Delta?" said the pilot as he slowly drove the Pelican into the hangar.

"Come on Delta," said Thomas "We must find Lord Hood now!"

They started down the stairs to the main level of the Citadel. People ran about, all in a hurry. The humans have been working non-stop to prevent the Covenant from finding the Citadel.

"Delta! There you are!" Hollister was coming out of a nearby elevator. "Do you have the codes?"

"Yes." snapped Thomas.

"Of course you do! You haven't told anyone about this mission have you?" Hollister asked.

"No, not yet we haven't." Thomas replied.

"Not yet? Well you better not tell anyone! This mission is very confidential. I command you not to let anyone know!" bellowed Hollister.

"I don't think your in the position to be giving out orders General. Spartans, seize him!"

Cowboy and Daisy leapt forward at Thomas' command and grabbed hold of Hollister. He tried to resist but the Spartans were too strong.

"We know of your plan Hollister. We know you sold us out to the Covenant!" said Thomas, getting in Hollister's face.

"You can't prove anything! You don't have enough evidence. Why would they believe a dirty Elite over me?"

"That's beside the fact! We may not have enough to imprison you, but enough to put you on house arrest until we do." said Thomas.

"You will regret this Spartan!" growled Hollister.

"Cowboy, Daisy, bring him with us. Lord Hood needs to be informed right away." commanded Thomas.

The Spartans received very strange looks from the other people in the Citadel. They urged Hollister forward as they reached Lord Hood's office.

"Lord Hood!" Thomas said as the other Spartans and himself saluted, "We need to talk now!"

"Thomas what is this all about? Why do you have my general in custody?" inquired Lord Hood.

"Sir. We have reason to believe Hollister has sold us out to the Covenant. Therefore, we accuse him of treason!"

"Do you have any evidence? This is a very harsh accusation." asked Lord Hood walking out from behind his desk.

"Yes sir. We found these codes for a Covenant weapons base. Inscribed on the codes are transmissions from an Elite soldier." said Cowboy.

"Son, I'm afraid we can't accuse him of treason just on this."

"Wait!" said Thomas, "Let's go back to the beginning. Hollister sent us on a very top secret mission. When we arrived at the Covenant base, we were to kill Valisco Saygen. He is a powerful Elite commander. After we detained Saygen, he told us it was a mistake. He informed us that the Elites had split with the Covenant."

"I see, go on." said Lord Hood.

"The Elite then said that we were suppose to retrieve the codes he had. They were meant for us and the Elites were waiting on the UNSC. I can only guess that Hollister was the one who was to pick it up so the Covenant aligned with the Prophet of Truth would not lose the security codes to their base. We contacted Hollister and he insisted that we kill Valisco." finished Thomas.

"So…I see. I'm afraid all we can do is put him under house arrest. Still, it will be hard seeing as we have no truth to the Covenant split. I suggest that you try to find some actual evidence." said Lord Hood glaring at Hollister.

"Thank you sir." said Chris

"Lord Hood." said a voice from the office intercom.

"Yes Sergeant Chang?" replied Lord Hood.

"We have three Covenant Cruisers in bound on our position. Permission to engage?" asked Chang.

"Permission granted Sergeant!"

"Now hold on there Commander!" said an unknown but familiar voice through the intercom. As it spoke, the computer screen in the office flicked on.

On the screen showed the inside of the Covenant Cruiser. The next moment, a tall African American soldier walked into view. He had an assault rifle held on his shoulder and a lit cigar in his mouth.

"Johnson! What are you doing on that ship?" yelled Lord Hood.

"Now Commander, you wouldn't want to destroy these ships. The Elites have turned."

"Sergeant Chang, do not engage the Cruisers! Friendlies are onboard. Repeat, do not engage the ships. Friendlies onboard!" barked Hood.

"Aye sir!" replied Chang.

"Now Lord Hood. The Elites have joined forces with the UNSC. The Elite Arbiter, along with a handful of his pals, helped Commander Keyes and myself kill the Brute Chieftain Tartarus and stopped the activation of Delta Halo." said Johnson.

"Is Miranda on board?" asked Hood.

"Yes sir. We are making our descent to the Citadel now. We'll see you shortly. Johnson out."

The monitor pinged off and the room was silent.

"Well Delta. It seems that your suspicions indeed are correct." said Lord Hood. "General Hollister will be placed under house arrest. Still, we need to find proof of his treason. Otherwise the Council will not accept his trial." Lord Hood walked over to his desk and pressed a button on his intercom. "Sergeant Chang."

"Yes sir?"

"Come to my office immediately and retrieve General Hollister. He is to be placed under house arrest."

"Aye Lord Hood. On my way down now." replied Sergeant Chang.

"Shall we go meet our new friends then?" asked Hood in a sarcastic tone.

The Spartans and Lord Hood walked outside to the airplane runway. Everyone was on edge seeing the Elites in there most secure base, mankind's last remaining haven. Even the Spartans felt uneasy. It was strange seeing the Elites and humans fighting together. Johnson and Miranda strode out of the Cruiser, followed by a tall Elite with gray armor. It didn't seem to have the same enhancements as the other Elites. After they were off the Cruiser, more Elites began to pour out. Elites in varying headdresses exited the cruiser. Many with swords and rifles.

"Did you miss me?" said Johnson extending his hand to Lord Hood.

"Glad to see you back alive Johnson." replied Lord Hood shaking his hand. "Same goes for you to Commander Keyes."

"Likewise sir." she replied.

"Lord, I would like you to meet the Arbiter." said Johnson gesturing toward the gray Elite.

"We will be happy to help you destroy Truth, even though it is not in our best judgment." said Arbiter.

"Look, we don't need your help alien! Anyway, why should we trust you! You and your kind wiped out the planet Reach and half of Earth!" thundered Hood.

" Now Lord Hood calm down." urged Johnson.

"Human, we don't want to join with you anymore than you do! The only way we can end this war is with your help. The Prophet of Truth used us…tricked us. We didn't know." said the Arbiter.

"The Arbiter was the one that killed Tartarus." said Miranda, "He and the ship Commander's men, helped us prevent the activation of Delta Halo."

The Spartans gripped their weapons tight. Even though the Elites seemed friendly, old habits don't die that fast.

"Where is this so called ship commander?" asked Hood.

"Right here." A tall Elite in silver armor approached the group. He had a plasma sword on his waist. The Commander had something wrong with his jaw. On his left side where his lips separated, they were cut short. It seemed like some sort of battle wound.

"So you are the one who helped stop the activation of Delta Halo?" asked Hood

"Yes, the Arbiter and myself lead the attack. We must make haste! We have much to do before Truth reaches Earth." replied the Ship Commander.

"You mean to tell me that Truth and the entire Covenant fleet is coming here, to Earth!?" said Lord Hood.

"You mean to tell me that Truth and the entire Covenant fleet is coming here…to Earth?" said Lord Hood.

"That is correct. The Prophet of Truth has located what the Forerunners call the Ark." said the Ship Commander.

"So what is this Ark?" asked Thomas.

"The Ark," cut in Johnson, "is the main core of all the Halos. If Truth reaches the Ark, he will be able to activate all of the remaining Halos remotely."

"Damn" cursed Hood, "What do we have to do?"

"Glad you asked that question!" said Johnson excited. "Hey Spark!"

A light blue orb floated out of the Cruiser. As it reached the group, it's features were more distinct. The orb was silver, and hollow. On the inside, was a bright, light blue light. The machine hummed as it drew closer to them.

"Greetings!" the machine said in a digital high pitched computer voice. "I am 343 Guilty Spark, the monitor of Installation 04." Spark hummed and buzzed around the group of Elites and humans. "My! There are so many Reclaimers!"

"Spark here has decided to help us stop Truth. The only way to stop Truth though, is letting him find the Ark." said Johnson.

"What! No way Johnson. There is no way in hell I am letting Truth find this thing!" bellowed Hood.

"The Ark is deep underground." began the Ship Commander. "It would take the humans months to dig it up. Even with our help."

"I see where your coming from…alright if Johnson thinks it will work then we will let Truth proceed with his plan." said Lord Hood.

"Now I understand that your so called Spartans have assassinated one of my best Commanders along with his men." asked the Ship Commander.

"Yes, and it was a mistake." apologized Lord Hood. They began to walk back to the Citadel. "We have been sold out Ship Commander. Our head General, James Hollister, assigned our Spartans to eliminate your Commander. Delta was under the impression that Valisco Saygen had secret codes which held information and blueprints to the Citadel."

"We had no such codes!" thundered the Ship Commander.

"We know that now. I have placed Hollister under house arrest until we have enough evidence to arrest him and strip him of his status."

"Very well." replied the Ship Commander. He reached for his wrist and pressed a button. "Shi Ven, send the other Elites down form the other Cruisers. The humans have agreed to help."

"Roger Commander. We're coming down now." replied Shi Ven.

The humans, Elites, and Spartans reached the entrance to the Citadel. Guilty Spark returned to the ship, talking to himself about Truth. As they walked through the threshold of the base, Sergeant Chang hurried to them.

"Lord Hood!" he yelled.

"Yes Sergeant. What is it?"

"We found evidence of Hollister's treason."

"Excellent! What did you find?" asked Hood.

"I found transmissions, sir. The transmissions are a series of conversions between Hollister and a Brute Chieftain. He was planning on relaying the Citadel's security codes to the Covenant."

"Good work Chang. Take the transmissions to the Council. After we arrest Hollister, we will meet you there."

"Aye sir!" said Chang as he hurried off forward to the Council Chamber.

Lord Hood turned to the Spartans and smiled. "Great job Delta. You were right. Now you four come with me and we shall arrest Hollister."

The five humans walked down the stairs of the Citadel until they finally reached the housing floor. As they reached the corridor Hollister's apartment was on, they were greeted with a gruesome sight.

"Oh my god!" shrieked Daisy.

On the floor beside Hollister's apartment door were three dead marines. All three were shot in the head.

"Delta! Open the door now!" commanded Lord Hood.

Thomas and Cowboy both kicked the metallic door at the same time. As they did, the door buckled and fell down. They quickly raised their weapons and entered the room.

"Shit." cursed Thomas lowering his weapon. "He's gone."

"What do we do now?" asked Chris.

"He couldn't have gone far." said Lord Hood.

The intercom blared, "Unauthorized departure of UNSC Longsword in loading bay 4!"

"Delta we must get to the Council Chamber now!!" shouted Lord Hood.


	6. The Hunt Begins

Chapter 5

The Hunt Begins

The Spartans, along with Lord Hood, raced throughout the Citadel until they finally reached the Council Chamber. The chamber was a large circular room with hundreds of chairs for an audience. On one side of the room was four large chairs in which the Council sat. In the center was a lone podium where Sergeant Chang was already briefing the Council on the evidence against Hollister.

"Sorry to interrupt," spoke Lord Hood as they opened the doors, "but Hollister is gone!"

"Gone? What do you mean gone?" spat the older of the four Councilmen.

"Hollister has murdered the guards who were stationed at his apartment, and to keep him under house arrest. And we have just received news that he has hijacked a UNSC Pelican."

"Very well Lord Hood." the Councilman spoke. "As of this moment forward, Hollister is herby stripped of his rank and is now an enemy of Earth and all of her colonies."

"Thank you Councilmen" said Lord Hood as he bowed gracefully.

Lord Hood turned to his right, where the Spartans were waiting for orders.

"Spartans!" said Lord Hood. The squad stood up straight. "We have about thirty minutes until Hollister is out of reach. Get to the armory and suit up, and meet up with a group of Hell Jumpers in the hangar bay!"

"Sir, Yes Sir!" chanted Delta Squad.

The squad marched off toward the armory as fast as lightening. Officials and Marines struggled to get out of the way of the human tanks as Delta stormed down the hallways.

"Okay Delta!" barked Thomas as they entered the armory. "Pack a lot of ammunition. I don't really know how many Covenant to expect. But being a Capital Cruiser, expect a good many."

Once they were ready, Thomas lead the rest of Delta into the hangar where anxious Marines were waiting by a Pelican.

"Marines!" shouted Thomas. "On board that Covenant Cruiser is the most wanted man on Earth! The person once known as General Hollister has sold us out to the enemy! So what are we going to do? We are going to show him how it feels to be the Earth's enemy! Hollister must love green, cause a shit load is about to fly up his ass!"

"Now lets move out!" commanded Cowboy.

"Not so fast Spartans." said a familiar voice. Everyone looked to the right to see five Elites, along with the Ship Commander coming towards the group. "There is a Brute Ship Commander on board that cruiser. Ship Commander Falvas is the one who is responsible for the change in command within the Covenant. It was he who arranged the replacement of Honor Guards. Falvas has dishonored the Elites and his blood will be spilt!" finished the Ship Commander.

"Good. Your assistance will be very helpful." praised Thomas.

"I myself will not accompany you, but five of my best soldiers shall assist you." said the Ship Commander, gesturing toward the nearby Elites.

"Alright. Now let's get moving!" commanded Thomas.

The Spartans, Elites, and Marines all pulled themselves into the docked Pelican. Thomas gave the ready signal to the pilot, and the Pelican was set free and gracefully flew through the air. About five miles away was the target. A Covenant Cruiser, which was directly above the Ark excavation site. They approached the ship and noticed that Hollister's ship was already docked.

"Damn," cursed Thomas, "we are a little late team. Hollister has reached the cruiser and is most likely making his way to the bridge as we speak. We need to make this fast so Falvas does not relay the Citadel security codes to Truth!"

"We will stand with you until the end." spoke the Elite general.

Thomas nodded. "Delta! What's our motto?"

"Going in alive! Coming out the same way!" they chanted back at him.

"Damn straight." replied Thomas.

The Pelican approached the empty loading dock of the cruiser. The Elite General, Zaos, walked toward the loading dock's air lock. He examined it and rejoined the group.

"It is locked, but does not pose as a problem. My team can easily blow it." said Zaos.

The loading dock was one of the largest Thomas had seen. It was hard for him to believe that it was completely empty and that the main gate was open. The only thing that stood in their way was the air lock, which could be easily taken care of.

"Altus! Go and see if you can manually hack the computer system. We don't want to alert the guards until we have to." said Zaos as he picked up his Plasma Rifle and Carbine.

"Yes Sir!" replied Altus.

"Alright marines! Let's move! Stay alert and be on you guard." shouted Thomas.

The Marines and Delta Squad dismounted the Pelican and checked their guns to make sure they were loaded.

"General," said Altus. "I can't hack the system. We're going to have to breach."

"Right then. Celos, place the explosives!" commanded Zaos.

"Yes Sir!" he replied as he pulled out a large explosives device out of his bag.

Zaos looked at Thomas with anticipation. "Spartan." he spoke.

"Yes General?" replied Thomas.

"I would ready your men. Behind this door lies death. This is one of the most vicious ships in the entire Covenant armada. Ship Commander Falvas is malicious and will show no mercy. If he has the Citadel's security codes…Earth will fall in a matter of hours."

Thomas stared at Zaos. He could not believe how concerned he was about the humans when not long ago, they would kill each other on sight. Thomas nodded and placed his hand on the Elites shoulder, which was the greatest gesture a Spartans could give out of respect, and he turned to his me.

"Marines!" Prepare for breach!"

General Hollister walked silently and slightly faster than usual down the purple lit corridors of Redemption and Death, the deadly Covenant Cruiser. Hollister knew it would not take long for the Spartans to catch up with him. He made a left and then a right as he navigated throughout the vast ship. He halted to a stop. Two Honor Guards stood at the entrance of the bridge.

"I have something urgent the Ship Commander has sent for." said Hollister.

The Brutes snarled and growled as they stepped aside for the human to pass. The inside bridge was a bright light shad of purple, a little more distinct than the rest of the ship. Advanced computer systems with the alien language scrolling by were all around him. In the center of the room lied a large holographic globe of Earth. Floating a few feet form the ground was a large chair with a good sized Brute sitting in it.

"Do you have…the codes…Hollister?" the Brute Commander spoke. He seemed to be unfamiliar with speaking in Human tongue.

"I do indeed, but we have another problem."

The chair floated down towards Hollister, and the Ship Commander sat up and out of it.

"And what problem is this General?" growled Falvas walking around in a circle towards Hollister.

"The team of Spartans called Delta Squad have found the truth of their last mission. Before Valisco could be silenced, he revealed to the Spartans of the Elite schism." replied Hollister.

"Was he eliminated?" Falvas asked.

"Yes Commander. I convinced Delta to take his life, but it seems they were still suspicious. They went to Lord Hood and retrieved the transmissions from you and other Brutes. I'm sure now I have been banished by the Elder Council."

"Your lack of concern has disappointed me Hollister. You have blown your cover and revealed the Elite's rebellion and LEAD THE SPARTANS TO MY SHIP!" bellowed Falvas.

"I deeply apologize sir…please, you promised I would be spared if I helped you!" pleaded Hollister.

"I don't see how the Great Journey has any more use for you-"

The ship rumbled and gunshots filled the corridors of the massive vessel.

"There here…" spoke Falvas

The explosion quaked throughout the ship. If they never knew they were here, they do now.

"Elites let's move!" shouted Zaos.

The Elites, Spartans, and Marines stormed through the now open air lock door. Grunt bodies lay motionless on the floor who were taken by the explosion. Their neon blue blood splattered the walls.

"Attack my brothers!" shouted Zaos firing off his Carbine. "We must silence Falvas for dishonoring the Elites!"

Brute soldiers filled the wide hallways and began showering the marines in Spiker fire. Altus threw a well placed plasma grenade onto the nearby Brute. The explosion scattered the enemy ranks.

"Delta! Marines! Follow me! We must find Hollister now!" shouted Thomas.

"Yes Spartan!" cried Zaos over the blaring gunfire. "Find and kill Falvas. We will continue to clear the ship. If we are to capture this ship, it will prove as a valuable asset."

"Thomas this way!" shouted Daisy. "It looks like this corridor leads to the bridge"

"Right. C'mon we have to hurry." he replied to his squad.

The Spartans sprinted through the empty hallways. Only stopping to slowly go around corners. The Covenant on the ship never expected the Elites and Spartans to split apart from the fight.

"Wait." said Cowboy. "There is a Brute and a few Jackals in the next corridor. Daisy, the Brute has power armor so try and get a head shot with that Battle Rifle."

Daisy positioned herself in the hallway. Crouched on one knee, and out in the open, she only had one shot to take out the larger threat. A second later, and the Brute laid dead, blood pouring from his head.

"Beautiful." said Daisy from under her breath.

"Okay. Let's move." said Thomas.

Chris and Cowboy broke from their cover and fired wildly at the charging Covenant. Grunts and Jackals were stopped in there tracks. Three Brutes joined the fight, each carrying a Brute Shot.

"Throwing flare!" shouted Thomas. He quickly rolled out from behind the corner and lobbed the ball into the air. The flare lit up the room in a violent white light.

"I got 'em." said Cowboy. He sprinted towards the Brutes and mowed them down with a hail of battle rifle bullets.

"Cowboy watch out!" yelled Chris.

Another Brute appeared from behind a corner in the hallway. It raised it's blade on the Brute Shot. A white object flew passed Cowboy and went directly at the Brute. Cowboy turned around and saw a large combat knife sticking out of the Brute's skull.

"Thanks Thomas…Damn that was close."

"Don't worry about it." Thomas replied. "We gotta move. Marines follow behind and stay frosty. The bridge is right up ahead."

The group moved on forward towards a large open door. Inside they could hear the voices of about several Brutes.

"Okay. When I give the signal, we storm the room." said Thomas.

The Marines nodded and green acknowledgment lights filled Thomas' helmet.

Thomas sighed and made a gesture with his left hand. The group burst through the metallic door.

"What?" exclaimed Chris is surprise.

There was nobody in the room. The owners of the voices they heard only moments ago were gone.

"They are still in here." said Thomas calmly. "Falvas couldn't have escaped that fast."

"Thomas, you nee to come take a look at this." said one of the marines.

"Yes Private what is it-" Thomas froze where he was.

Hollister's body was laying over one side of the room with blood pouring out of his chest. Thomas bent down and examined the body.

"Energy sword…probably Falvas did it himself." he spoke quietly. "Damn, he took the codes."

"Leave his body!" growled Falvas' voice from behind.

Thomas looked up and the room was flooded with Brutes, and each one had a Marine captive. Thomas slowly turned around and saw Falvas with his Spiker pointed at his head. Daisy, Chris, and Cowboy stood there with their weapons raised, waiting for any movement from the Brutes.

"Turn around slowly Demon and hand me your weapon." spoke Falvas. "And tell the others as well."

Thomas hesitated and slowly dropped his battle rifle. He nodded at his squad to do the same.

"Good, now tell me…did you really think you could capture this ship?" growled Falvas.

"Why did you kill Hollister? He was to be put under arrest. I thought he and you had an alliance." spoke Thomas.

"Ha!" laughed Falvas loudly as he kicked Hollister's body. "This little worm is useless. We easily deceived him. He thought we would spare his life and take him on our Great Journey. It's funny how easily he died."

"Where are the codes?" snapped Thomas.

"Right here." the Brute answered, reaching out his hand, revealing the computer chip inside. "It's sad to think this many of you have worked this hard to get it…and now, you die!"

The bridge doors exploded and metal flew throughout the room. The Elites stormed into the bridge. Thomas took this distraction to his advantage. He quickly unsheathed his combat knife and thrust it into Falvas' lower jaw. The Brute screamed and fell to his knees and Thomas violently slit his throat. Daisy, Chris and Cowboy quickly picked up their weapons. The Marines broke free of the shocked Brutes who were taken off guard by the Elites' attack. The Elites easily dispatched the Brutes, who barely had enough time to reach for their guns. A moment later, everything was silent.

"Are you okay my friends?" asked Zaos as he placed one hand on Thomas' shoulder.

"Yes. Thank you. You and your men really helped us out. I appreciate it greatly." he replied.

"The Brutes cut us off on our way up here. We lost Altus and Barliz. A trip mine killed them both. The Brutes must have known we would come that way. I'm just glad I could see the life leave Falvas. Thank you Spartan."

"It seems some of our guys are gone also." said Cowboy leaning down to the bodies scattered about. "Corporal Davis, Private McDowell, Private Litz, and Private Connor." he said as he retrieved their dog tags from their bodies.

"Must have gotten caught in the crossfire." said Chris.

"We will notify their families as soon as we return to the Citadel." said Thomas. "Which reminds me…" he bent down to Falvas' dead body and grabbed the codes still clutched in his bloody hands. "Thank you." he said sarcastically.

"We will remain here on the ship." said Zaos. "It needs to be repaired and refuled. This will prove to be very useful in the upcoming battle."

"What battle?" asked Daisy.

"Truth is on his way. And when he arrives…there will be no mercy. We must be ready to fight until our last breath." replied Zaos.

Thomas nodded and smile in his helmet. He was happy to have the Elites on his side. Finally they had a little hope in winning the war. As far as he could tell, Earth couldn't win without their help.

"Delta, Marines! Let's go home. Get to the Pelican, double time!" he shouted, sort of laughing as he did.

They all left the bridge as Zaos took his seat in the Captain's chair. The Pelican was already waiting for them in the still empty loading bay. They were finally going to get a well deserved rest.


	7. War Horse

Chapter 6

War Horse

The Citadel was on high alert and officials were bustling around all over the place as the Pelican descended gently into the hangar. Sirens and red lights filled the halls of the underground base.

"Delta!" said the pilot in a frantic tone. "Proceed to the briefing room double time. Lord Hood says it's urgent." the radio clicked off and the Pelican came to a smooth stop.

"I wonder think it's the battle Zaos was talking about do you?" asked Cowboy.

"Oh, God if it is…Truth is almost here. We don't have much time. Come on, lets get to the briefing room." replied Thomas.

The Spartans sprinted down the busy corridors of the Citadel. Quickly moving throughout the workers trying to secure the base. The briefing room was already full of Marines and high ranking officers. When Delta arrived, Lord Hood was busy talking to an Elite on the viewing screen.

"So if what you are saying is true Ship Commander," said Lord Hood, rubbing the back of his neck. "how much time do you think we have?"

"Well, seeing as we brought the radar systems online in Redemption and Death, I calculate that we have just a little over two hours before Truth enters our atmosphere."

"Damn. Well I guess that will have to do. Alright Ship Commander, keep us posted. Lord Hood out." as he finished, the screen went black.

All the officials in the room, including Lord Hood, tensed and shifted in there seats. Thomas knew they had missed something important.

"I must praise you for your teams outstanding job on retrieving the codes." said Lord Hood, breaking the silence.

"Thank you sir." replied Thomas as he handed the codes to Lord Hood. "Sir…what's going on?"

"Delta, the war on Earth is about to get a lot worse. Truth is coming to Earth as we speak and he is bringing the entire Covenant fleet…every last one of them." he looked at his feet then quickly straightened up.

"There is one more problem though. The warheads you found at the warehouse were not all disabled. Before you and your team arrived, the Covenant made off with a large amount. The warheads are now located on the outskirts of the city of Voi. The Covenant plan to detonate the warheads right before Truth enters Earth's atmosphere."

"Why would they want to blow the warheads?" asked Daisy.

"Good question. The Elites figure that the best way to ensure the Prophet of Truth lands safely and we don't survive would be to…we'll, blow us up." replied Hood.

"Well wouldn't the explosion destroy the ship?" inquired Cowboy.

"Yes, but you see the Covenant have done something to the warheads so that the explosion is greater, but the force is less. It's quite amazing really. Anyway, Thomas, you and your team get to the armory and suit up. You ship out in ten."

"Yes sir!" chanted Delta Squad

The armory, just like the rest of the Citadel, was busy. Marines loading guns, putting on armor and packing their bags. Delta hurried to get their weapons. Officers checked the Spartans' shield generators to make sure they were working properly. After about eight minutes, Delta Squad was ready to fight. They made their way to the all too familiar Pelican hangar. As the Spartans climbed into the Pelican, Thomas lazily slouched into the seat, and dazed out into the distance.

"Okay Delta. This is your stop. The area seems to be clear. Touchdown in 5...4..." blared the pilot through the Delta's helmet radio.

Thomas sat up straighter in his seat. The land was nothing but a large desert. The sun was scorching hot and he could see the heat rising from the ground. The warheads were just in the distance. There were about four of them and it looked as if they were already armed.

"Delta, lets move fast and swift." commanded Thomas.

"Forward area clear." whispered Chris through the radio as he scouted the area.

"Stay frosty." replied Daisy.

"Okay." said Thomas. "The warheads are just up ahead…wait, what is that beside them?"

"Hold on." said Daisy as she pulled out her sniper rifle. "It seems as if there is a bunker about half a click away from the warheads."

"We have to keep an eye on it." Thomas spoke as they made their way towards the warheads. "I highly doubt the Covenant would just leave them laying out in the open."

"Yeah we wouldn't want to fall into another ambush like on Redemption and Death." Cowboy put in.

Thomas thought hard about the capture of the cruiser. He was foolish not to check the entire area and let his guard down. He endangered himself and first and foremost, his team.

"Chris." said Thomas as he snapped out of his daydream.

"Yes sir?"

"Go and check to see what you can do with the warheads. We don't want to use the EMP blast unless we have to."

"Yes sir!" responded Chris and he jogged off to the warheads.

"Contact!" yelled Cowboy. "Enemy hostels pouring out of the forward bunker!"

"Daisy fall back to cover Chris with you sniper!" barked Thomas.

"Yes sir." she said over the loud burst of Cowboy's gunfire.

Brutes, Grunts and Jackals made their way out of the bunker. Each firing away at the heavily armored soldiers.

"Keep firing!" yelled Thomas. "Don't let them get near Chris!"

Sniper fire cracked through the air and three Brutes dropped to the ground with a bullet with in each of their skulls.

"Plasma!" yelled Cowboy. "Take cover!"

As soon as the Grunt primed the grenade and a split second after it left his hand, Daisy shot the alien in it's methane tank. The bullet ignited the gas inside and the Grunt exploded and killed all of it's surrounding allies.

"Chris! How's it going?" yelled Thomas when the fire stopped.

"Not too good sir." he replied. "It looks as if we have to use the EMP blast."

"Shit." cursed Thomas. 'Do it fast. I don't know if we killed them all or not. I'm sure that bunker is crawling with them."

Chris nodded and reached into his bag and retrieved a large electronic device.

"Demons!" yelled a voice from behind.

They all turned around and saw a Brute Chieftain slowly walking out of the bunker. He armed his gravity hammer and made a rough hand gesture followed by a deep growl. Two Hunters slowly thundered out into the desert light, bellowing their deep war cry.

"Oh my god!" exclaimed Cowboy.

The Hunters bent over to their combat position, ready to fight the Spartans. The green glow of their fuel rod cannons flared to life. Cowboy was too close. If one of the Hunters fired he would be completely incinerated.

"Get out of there!" screamed Thomas.

Cowboy sprinted towards his teammates as the Hunters fired the cannons. The first one hit him in the back of his left leg. Cowboy let out a gasp of pain as he fell towards the group, as the second flew directly overhead.

"Chris cover me!" yelled Thomas.

He sprinted towards Cowboy and weaved between the cannon fire just missing him.

"Come on Cowboy. We've got to move!" he said reaching towards Cowboys body.

"God my leg!" he said. "That bastard really got me. I should be okay though." Cowboy said.

"We will get you some biofoam and you will be on your feet in no time." Thomas replied.

He looked over his shoulder and saw one of the Hunters coming towards them in a headlong charge.

Thomas didn't have any time to react. The Hunter slammed his heavy, bone crushing shield into Thomas' side.

"AAAHH!" he yelled as his legs buckled and gave out. He and Cowboy fell to the ground, who were both now bleeding badly.

The Hunter slowly walked toward the now defenseless Spartans and raised its large metallic boot.

CRACK went Daisy's sniper rifle in a quick succession. The Hunter had revealed his unarmored stomach and Daisy took advantage of it. The Hunter fell backward and bright orange blood sprayed the desert ground.

"We have to hurry!" said Thomas.

He and Cowboy, as fast as they could, hurried to their teammates. Daisy sat them down behind the warheads and injected biofoam into the wounds.

"The EMP blast should almost be fully charged." Thomas spoke as he sluggishly got off the ground.

"Delta! I need back up!" screamed Chris over the COM Link radio.

Thomas, Cowboy, and Daisy ran from behind the warheads to assist Chris, only to see the other Hunter charging furiously at him. Enraged by the death of his bond brother, the Hunter would never back down. The alien was too much for Chris to handle alone. It slammed its shield into Chris' ribs, knocking him to the ground. Chris tried to crawl away, but the Hunter stomped his leg down with his boot. Chris' leg, crushed by the immense weight of the Hunter, was broken in half and began to spew out large amounts of blood.

The other Spartans pelted the Hunter with bullets, trying to draw it's attention. It didn't do any good. The angry Hunter would not reveal its unarmored flesh to them. The alien pushed its fuel rod cannon to Chris' chest and fired point blank. The cannon blew Chris about thirty feet away. With his armor melted away, his melted flesh could be seen, along with his ribs penetrating the surface.

"NO!" yelled Thomas at the top of his lungs.

Daisy and Thomas both charged the Hunter in a storm of bullets. Daisy rolled across the ground to avoid the cannon fire. Thomas scooped up a plasma grenade off of a Grunt's body. He charged toward the Hunter and primed the grenade. The Hunter began to swing, but at the last moment Thomas slid under its legs and stuck the plasma grenade to it's uncovered flesh. The explosion blew a large hole in the Hunter's body and neon orange blood rained down upon them.

Thomas looked up towards Daisy, out of breath. As he pushed himself of the dirt, he notice the Brute Chieftain was gone.

"He must have run off scared." said Daisy realizing the same thing.

"We have to get the EMP blast going." he replied

Thomas and Daisy met up with Cowboy who was mending his leg.

"The biofoam tore open…I'm bleeding really bad. Sorry, I couldn't help with…Chris. My gun…jammed." Cowboy said, tossing his gun to one side.

"It's okay." said Daisy. "You couldn't fight with your leg being the way it is."

"But still…I wish I could have-" a purple beam shot past them and into Cowboy's head.

The Beam Rifle blew straight through his helmets armor and blew open his skull. The entire back of Cowboy's helmet was blown open and blood began to pour out.

"Get down!" shouted Daisy.

The two remaining Spartans jumped behind several crates. Daisy loaded her sniper and slowly peeked from behind them. One shot later and the Jackal who killed the valued Spartan was stopped dead in it's tracks by Daisy's sniper.

Daisy sank to her knees behind the crate. "Cowboy…Chris…both gone." she cried.

"There is no time to be upset. We have to activate the EMP now. We only have about ten minutes." he replied. He himself felt a deep pain within him for the loss of his teammates.

"Your right." she said. "They would not want us to lose focus."

"Good. Now lets see how to work this EMP." he said as he turned his back from her. "It seems all we have to do is connect the wires."

"Charging…EMP blast in twenty seconds." said the computer.

"Good now, Daisy I need you…" he stopped in his tracks. Thomas could feel someone watching him.

He turned around to see the Brute Chieftain appear from his active camouflage. He was holding Daisy's head in his arms.

"Make one more move and I will break her neck!" the Brute yelled.

Thomas reached for his sidearm but realized all his weapons were crushed when the Hunter hit him.

"Five…Four…Three…Two…" said the computer.

The EMP flared to life and the force of the explosion blew all three of them back and their shields were disabled. As Daisy scrambled to her feet, the Chieftain armed his hammer and crushed her skull. The Brute tossed his drained hammer to the side and kicked Daisy's body away as he ran towards Thomas. The alien rammed his fist into Thomas' injured side, in which the bleeding began to start again. Thomas punched it in the jaw, breaking it. The Brute bellowed in pain and Thomas grabbed its arm and broke it in two. The Chieftain retaliated by punching furiously and broke Thomas' other ribs. Thomas finally wrestled the Brute to the ground and broke its neck.

Thomas slowly made his way to a large crate. He sat on the ground, and leaned his back on it. His wounded side had stared to bleed more and more. Thomas began to feel light headed and saw blood beginning to seep from his armor. He looked down to see that plasma fire had penetrated his armor and made another large wound which, in turn began to bleed. Crimson fluid began to flow across the desert floor.

The lone Spartan looked at his fallen comrades. They had been together on countless missions. He accessed his status files on his HUD screen within his helmet. He place Daisy, Chris, Cowboy, and himself under the MIA list. He had one last thing to do. Thomas changed his mission status to complete, and sent it to Lord Hood. The soldier leaned back once more…and closed his eyes.

Three Warthog jeeps roared through the desert to where the Spartans lay. They quickly got out to check the vitals of the soldiers, hoping they could have them.

"We're too late." said one of the Marines.

"Call for evac." said another. "We have a heavy lift here."

"I can't believe they are dead." said the first Marine.

"No…" said the second. "Spartans never die…"


	8. Epilogue

Epilogue

"We got a new contact!" shouted a Marines through Cairo Station's loud speakers. "Unknown classification!"

"It isn't one of ours. Take it out!" commanded Lord Hood.

"This is Spartan 117. Can anyone hear me?" said Master Chief through the speakers.

"Isolate that signal." barked Lord Hood to a marine. "Master Chief, would you mind telling me what you're doing on that ship?"

"Sir…Finishing this fight!"

With the warheads disabled, Truth's ship landed on Earth, and Africa was spared thousands of lives. Master Chief, along with the aid of the Elites, lead the UNSC marines into the Ark. Truth was silenced by the Arbiter and he and Master Chief destroyed the Ark. The Covenant were eliminated and the war was over. The Arbiter returned to Earth with half of the ship destroyed. The Master Chief, who was on the other half of the ship when the Ark's slipspace portal was disabled, was declared dead.

But Spartans never truly die. The story of Delta Squad became well known, but only to though with high enough status within the UNSC. Delta officially did not exist. Doing missions in secret, the world will never know what really started the end of the war. Delta Squad was the spark that caused humanity to have hope, leading to Earth's salvation. They were fighting a Silent War.


End file.
